Could it be that the Celtics are simply too strong?
Following Boston’s dominant performance against the highly-anticipated new-look Knicks, where they overwhelmed them with a barrage of three-pointers, one might question where the excitement of the regular season will come from. Can anyone halt Boston’s powerful team?
“It’s only been one game,” you might say. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves!”
But the truth is, this is essentially the same team as last year, a team that led the league with 30 wins by 15 or more points, set records for offensive rating, and dominated in the playoffs. While it was thrilling last year as they worked to prove themselves, now it feels almost expected. Routine. Inevitable.
And that predictability, the lack of uncertainty, can lead to disinterest, maybe even boredom, until the stakes are raised.
While some feared a championship hangover might result in lackadaisical play, what if the opposite happens? What if, with no pressure of expectations, the Celtics play even more freely? What if they have found ways to further improve their game during the offseason?
Surely, the Celtics will lose games again. It might happen as soon as the next game (though it’s unlikely against the struggling Wizards)! But if they win over 65 games this season, with many of them being dominant performances, there is a risk that casual fans might tune out until the playoffs.
As a writer, I will need to stretch my creativity to find new ways to describe their greatness.
To add some excitement to the season, we may need to set new, smaller goals to keep things interesting. Can they achieve individual accolades? Can they reach specific milestones like hitting 30 three-pointers in a game? Can they challenge the NBA record for most wins in a season?
It’s hard to imagine a team winning over 70 games in today’s NBA, where health and longevity are prioritized. But it would be a thrilling pursuit in a season that already feels like a breeze!
Of course, I’m only partially serious. Boston will face challenges and setbacks. And there are other teams outside of New England worth keeping an eye on. But for the Celtics, this regular season feels like a warm-up to the main event.
Perhaps we need to set smaller, short-term goals to keep things exciting.
(Let’s keep this enthusiasm to ourselves; non-Celtics fans might not understand.)
